The 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi on Thursday donated the sum of ₦60,000,000 (sixty million naira) to the University on the Niger (UNINIGER), Umunya, Anambra State.
Of the ₦60 million, Mr. Obi donated ₦50 million to the UNINIGER, and ₦10 million to the School of Nursing Sciences at Iyienu Mission Hospital, Ogidi, Anambra.
He announced the donation on X (formerly Twitter), explaining that financial aids geared towards health, education and poverty reduction initiatives are investments that will result in the progress of Nigeria.
“In line with my commitment to investing in critical areas that drive development, health education, and poverty reduction, I visited the University on the Niger (UNINIGER), Umunya, yesterday, at their take-off campus in Iyi-Enu, and donated ₦50 million. I also visited the School of Nursing at Iyienu Mission Hospital, Ogidi, where I made an additional donation of ₦10 million.
“I have consistently emphasised that the financial support we give to health, education, and poverty reduction initiatives is not expenditure, but an investment in crucial areas that will propel our development,” he stated.
According to him, Nigeria’s health and education sectors have continued to suffer from severe neglect and lack of government attention, with dire consequences manifesting in various ways.
The former Anambra State Governor noted that the health sector, for example, is not only burdened by funding gaps, infrastructure deficits, and non-transparent execution of health projects, but also suffers from a significant shortage of healthcare professionals across the country.
“We currently face a shortage of doctors and nurses, falling far below WHO’s recommendations. The solution to this urgent shortage lies in investing more aggressively in the training of healthcare professionals nationwide,” he said.
Obi expressed confidence that sacrificial investments today will form the foundation of tomorrow’s development strides.
He also expressed gratitude to the proprietor, management, staff, and students of both the university and the School of Nursing for their contributions to the health and education sectors in Nigeria.
